Homemade lantern parade to light up Maidstone

The festival hopes to brighten up the winter months

Maidstone town centre is to be lit up by a parade of lanterns made by schoolchildren as part of a free light festival.

The event takes place on Friday between 17:00 GMT and 19:30.

The children are due to carry their lanterns at 18:30 from County Hall through Week Street to Jubilee Square whilst crowds are entertained by street performers and live entertainment.

Councillor Stephen Thompson, Cabinet Member for Healthier Stronger Communities at Maidstone Borough Council (MBC), said: "This will be a beautiful spectacle of light, colours and music."

The event, which is supported by MBC, has been organised by the business improvement district One Maidstone, in collaboration with Cohesion Plus.

Gurvinder Sandher MBE, Artistic Director at Cohesion Plus, said January and February "can often feel challenging" but the event "will bring together local communities and artists to celebrate Maidstone".

One Maidstone is planning to launch a wellness trail at the same time as the festival.